Babar Azam steps down from Pakistan captaincy, reveals reason behind big decision

New Delhi: To the shock of many, Babar Azam on Wednesday announced his resignation from the Pakistan captaincy in white-ball cricket with immediate effect. Babar confirmed his resignation from the ODI and T20I captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team in a social media post revealing the reason behind his decision.

This is the second time that Babar has stepped down from Pakistan’s captaincy in less than a year. He stepped down as Pakistan’s captain across all three formats after the men in green’s dismal performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India last year saw them fail to qualify for the semi-finals. However, the star batsman was reinstated as the white-ball captain earlier this year.

Babar took the decision to step down from the captaincy after the ‘Strategic Connection Camp’ organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last month to formulate plans for the future of Pakistan cricket. Many senior players including Babar and Mohammad Rizwan attended this workshop. Pakistan coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie were also part of the workshop.

“Dear fans, today I have something special to share with you. “I have decided to resign as the captain of the Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team with effect from my notification to the PCB and team management last month,” Babar said in a post on Xlo.

Shaheen Shah Afridi appointed Babar as Pakistan’s captain in the T20Is after dropping the star batsman in last year’s ODI World Cup. However, the pacer was dropped in just one series as Babar was reinstated at the top post for the T20 World Cup 2024. However, this decision backfired after Pakistan put up another disastrous performance in a tournament which India won.

Babar is under immense pressure amid scrutiny of his leadership following Pakistan’s exclusion from the T20 World Cup 2024. However, the star batter refused to quit immediately after the showpiece event in the US and the Caribbean.